WASHINGTON — The administration of President Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to end the legal status of more than 500,000 immigrants, who were previously granted temporary protection under a Biden-era program.
The appeal, filed Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice, urges the Court to overturn an order issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts on April 15.
That ruling temporarily blocked efforts to revoke the legal status and work permits granted under a humanitarian program to hundreds of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
The Trump administration argues that the lower court overstepped its authority. “The district court engaged in the very review that Congress prohibited,” the filing states, asserting that the ruling nullifies important immigration policies and reverses initiatives approved by the public in the November elections.
It further states the decision could interfere with policies designed to reduce illegal border crossings.
The 27-page brief, signed by Attorney General John Sauer, urges the Supreme Court to stay, or pause, the district court’s order. “Typically, an alien who arrives in the U.S. and cannot demonstrate admissibility is promptly removed or detained pending removal proceedings,” it says.
The case centers on a policy known as “humanitarian parole,” which was expanded by the Biden administration in 2022. The program allowed migrants from specific countries to enter and remain in the United States for two years if they met certain conditions, including having a sponsor and passing security checks.
In October 2024, shortly before the presidential elections, the Biden administration announced that it would not extend the parole program, meaning participants would not be able to renew their status beyond the original two-year period.
The Trump administration has moved to end this program entirely. About 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Haitians have received parole under this policy, which means that its revocation could result in the deportation of all those migrants.
However, Judge Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) ruled that the government must respect the expiration dates and cannot terminate the program early without reviewing each case individually.
Humanitarian parole has been used by U.S. presidents from both parties for more than 70 years. It has supported goals such as family reunification and managing migration for humanitarian reasons.